Supermarket voucher scams target social media users

Trading standards in Swansea are urging residents not to be fooled into signing up to fake supermarket voucher initiatives on social media.

Online scammers are using social media sites, including Facebook, to tempt users into applying for a free money back gift voucher from popular UK supermarkets.

Reports to Swansea’s Trading Standards claim that the scam costs victims £4.50 a week for texts sent to their mobile phone, and to stop the texts costs a further £5.

Mark Child, Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Healthy City, said: “Once the unsuspecting person has clicked on the link and provided personal details such as a mobile phone number, they start receiving text messages which are charged at premium rate and require further payment to stop them.

“These latest scams are taking advantage of the popularity and rise in use of social media.

“The websites that people are redirected to can often look legitimate and fool people into offering up their personal details.

“We would urge people to use common sense and apply a simple test to anything they may be tempted into – when you are being offered something, if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is and you should avoid it.”